We Can Only Wonder Why
by Emeralda
Summary: A dark tale of life after Hogwarts...depressing...and...dark...very...dark


Lavender Brown nervously chewed a large wad of gun. He had entered the cafe and everything would probably go down hill from here. She shrugged, sometimes this job called for sacrificing her morals, anything for a tip. She grabbed her notebook and walked cautiously up to him, knowing that messing up this order could result in a very painful death.  
  
Percy Weasley rustled his tidy red hair smugly. Here he was owner of the best damn wizarding restaurant since "The Leaky Cauldron," swimming in wealth from it's proceeds, bringing in the money his family had so desperately needed all those years. He was definitely their golden child. He turned cheerfully to greet the next customer on his way in. Stopping in the midst of a "hi" he gasped quietly to himself, it was Him. "Take over, Lav." He said, taking a step back and heading to the men's room, this was going to be a most eventful evening.  
  
Ron Weasley stood quietly, his back to the bathroom's wall. He took a deep puff of his cigarette and strained his neck to see his miserable existence in the mirror. Shrugging as he saw his ugly, dirty self he returned to his cigarette.  
  
"Look at you." He said to the mirror in utter disgust "Family bum, living with you preppy-ass brother, living straight out of his wallet. What went wrong Ronnie?" He paused, taking a deep puff of the deadly gases in his cigarette. Looking at the cigarette fondly he smiled to the mirror, "Speeding up the death process." He said taking a deep puff.  
  
A breeze of air piled into the bathroom from the outside hallway and Ron straightened up, fearful that some old Hogwarts chum would see him. He breathed a short-live sigh of relief when Percy stepped in. Short-lived because he could always expect Percy to berate him with insults about his appearance, smoking, and all in all, his life.  
  
Percy opened his big-ass mouth and Ron shuddered in anticipation but instead a set of unexpected words flew out. "_He's _here."  
  
Ron jumped out of his wasted state. "Him? You sure? Shit! Can't you keep him out of here?"  
  
Percy snapped right back at him, "Me? Keep the most powerful wizard out of my restaurant? And what? Be bloodily murdered? Quick thinking there, Ron."  
  
Ron narrowed his eyes and went to the door to take a look at Him.  
  
"Shit, it's Him alright."  
  
Percy nodded his nervous face.  
  
"What do we do?" Ron asked him.  
  
"We wait, we watch, and most of all, we pray he doesn't kill anyone."  
  
They walked toward the door together, and leered with a certain dread at the most powerful wizard in the world.  
  
***  
  
Hermione Granger looked at her first paycheck happily. She was working her way up to being one of the most successful muggle-born witches ever. She was the new defense against the dark arts teacher at her alma mater, Hogwarts.  
  
She nodded her head smugly to one of ditzier Gryfindors students in her year. Lavender Brown just gave her a fearful look and turned back to her latest customer. Hermione shrugged, that girl had always been a bit paranoid, gibbering about her divination and such.  
  
Suddenly, Hermione felt a dark presence standing over and looked up to greet Lavender. Instead a quite different set of eyes met her own.  
  
Green eyes.  
  
"Mind if I join you, Hermie?"   
***  
  
Harry Potter enjoyed the look of fear that came on her face just then. As a matter of fact, he just plain enjoyed all fear.  
  
Sitting down across from his frightened former friend, he smiled.  
  
She looked at him with pleading eyes, "Why Harry? Why did you become..become..."  
  
Harry looked at her as if she were an ant on a hot day and he was a boy holding a magnifying glass. "What? Evil? Is that really what you call this? I mean, I have plenty of excuses. Orphan, bad foster parents, a girlfriend who cheated on me with best friend."  
  
Hermione nervously brushed her hair back. "Oh Harry, I loved you, but Ron loved me I had to...to..."  
  
Harry leaned forward suddenly. "What's wrong, kittycat? Cat got your tongue." He said grabbing her arm and casually flicking his finger against her mouth.  
  
"Let go of me." She moved away from his cold grasp. His hand was so cold....like he wasn't even human.  
  
"Ooh, feisty kittycat, messing with the most dangerous wizard in the world, and besides, I thought you _loved_ me."  
  
With all the courage in her Gryffindor heart she spit in his face. "That's right you look asshole, love_d._ With a big fat D. Because after all, who could love you! Your not even human."  
  
"Harsh words, kitty," He brushed his hands against her face, causing her to squirm, "And such a beautiful kitty too..." He leaned forward, as if to kiss her, but then with a sudden jerk of his face he instead spit in her face. "Now we're even."  
  
Hermione wiped her face quickly, for his saliva was practically venom.  
  
"Harry, I know your still in there, some part of the sweet caring Harry I used to know is still in there. Come out, Harry Potter, stop acting like this, what went wrong?" She said in quick fast paced words.   
  
Harry turned around, angered. "Everything, Hermione! Every fucking thing? But you wouldn't understand about things being messed up would you, my perfect little kitty cat?"  
  
"Harry...." She let her voice trail off. It wasn't Harry anymore, she reminded herself, Harry had died long ago. This was some evil shell of Harry.  
  
***  
  
"What do you see?" Ron asked as Percy took his turn peeking out the door.  
  
"Shit! He's with Hermione." Percy said and Ron pushed Percy out of the way to better his view.  
  
"Oh my god, he might kill her!" Ron said sinking to the floor in utter fear.  
  
Percy smiled somewhat cruelly, "You'd die if that happened. The love of your life, gone. Not that it would matter, she only dated you for pity anyway."  
  
Ron spun to face his brother, "Fuck you." He said punching him hard in the face. Bright red blood mixed in with his red facial hair, causing a rather interesting contrast of hues.  
  
***  
  
It wasn't Harry anymore...the thought echoed through her mind. But was Harry still in there? Some shell of him that might never come out again?  
  
But maybe, just maybe, she could get through to the Harry she had known, the Harry she had loved.  
  
All of a sudden she got an idea. It could work. Maybe, just maybe.  
  
***  
  
Lavender Brown watched out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"My fortune teller told me I would meet a new powerful man but this is going a bit far." She said to herself.  
  
She picked up a tray of water, "At least I got him good water, it's like, purified and everything."  
  
"Like, here's your water, I'll um, take your order later, or something....?"  
  
"How about, like or something?" The dark wizard said with a sneer.  
  
"Touchy, touchy." She mumbled under her breath.  
  
She watched as Hermione took a big swig of water. She looked kind of scared. " I should really help her." Lavender thought. She took a look at the evil glint in Harry's eyes. "Oh well, she's screwed anyway."  
  
***  
  
Hermione didn't drink that water, she inhaled it. She was going to need it. She was getting ready to do the single most dangerous stunt possible.  
  
***  
  
"Well, Lavender looks cheerful." Muttered Percy sarcastically, rubbing his injured nose.  
  
"Har-Har." Ron dryly muttered. He had been pacing the length of the bathroom nervously.   
  
"Hermione looks like she's gonna faint."  
  
"If He doesn't kill her first."  
  
"Don't talk like that Ron, god, try to optimistic."  
  
Ron stopped pacing. "Why? Has life ever treated me good? Look at me Percy! Just look at me. I'm a wreck. I signal handily fucked up my best friend by seducing his girlfriend. How can I go on living after that?"  
  
Percy looked up, shocked. "Is that why you've been falling apart? Because you thought this was all your fault? Har...He was going to turn bad either way."  
  
"Har...he? What Percy, to afraid to say his name? What is he now, _Voldemort?" _Ron paused for a moment. "God, that's the first time I ever said his name."  
  
"Maybe I am afraid, Ron. Because he's a hell of alot more dangerous then...then...oh I still can't say his name."  
  
In unison both brothers asked a simple question, "Why?" Why had Harry turned evil? Why had Ron's life went down the tubes? Why had so many people died? Why?  
  
***  
  
Hermione took a very deep breath. "Harry...." She said, aware that she was the only person to use his name in years.  
  
"Yes,"  
  
"I love you." It took everything in her to conjure up the courage to say those three simple words. She didn't know if she meant them or not, but as she said them she felt as though a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders.  
  
For a moment Harry's face contorted. He wasn't that hard shell he had been. He was just Harry. It only lasted a moment. That drop of his mask. But she had cracked his mask at last.  
  
His face hardened again, but she wasn't done yet. She leaned forward quickly and kissed him.   
  
"Why, Harry?" She asked when it was over. "Why did you turn evil?"  
  
"I guess I was following my cousin's footsteps." He said mysteriously, giving her a taunting grin to let her know he was back to his old self.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Tom Riddle's father left his mother and remarried. He had a daughter who married James Potter, Sr., they had a son, my father. Didn't you ever notice how similar we were Hermione? How he looked so very much like me and my father? He killed my father out of hate for his own father, but me, no he couldn't kill me. He saw such promise in me. So he poured his power into me, he regretted it later of course, I ruined his life, he was angry with me. Tried to kill me because I was in Gryffindor but soon he realize it was the perfect alibi. So he watched me, plotting against me at times, but only to strengthen me. Make me strong. It worked didn't it, Hermione?"  
  
"Why didn't you resist him, Harry, why?"  
  
"I think you know the answer to that, Hermie dearest."  
  
"I'm afraid I don't." She said glumly. He went to stand and Lavender Brown quickly picked up on this.  
  
"Come again!" She squealed. With a quick grab of his wand and a flash of green light she was gone. In her place stood a small pile of dust.  
  
"Thank you," He said to the dirt, then, turning to Hermione and giving her a meaningful stare," I will."  
  
"I still don't know why."  
  
"Then I suppose," He said, "You can only wonder."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
